Three weeks later...

The last three weeks have been difficult. I expected the marathon experience to be this overwhelming feeling of excitement, relief, joy, and accomplishment. I hate to admit that it hasn't been all roses. I've felt this nagging sadness that I can't quite shake. It took me almost three weeks to proudly say, "Running the Marathon was awesome". I've missed my running friends, even though I know they are only an email or a phone call away. I've felt empty...how do you take months of training leading up to one of the most amazing experiences of your life and go back to the normal everyday?

I was looking through people's blogs and came across one that summed up everything I am feeling. This post from Laurie made me remember I'm not alone in feeling this way. It also helped to see Lauren and Lindsey comment on the post.

Still I wonder, how does life continue on? How do you take the most amazing experience of your life, something so few people can do, and go back to normal? The truth is I do not want to go back to normal. The truth is I don't want normal. This experience has shown me that there is more out there, more that I can do, more that I can be. This experience has caused me to question my dreams and reach for the stars no matter how far they seem. This experience has taught me that even when I fall on my face (both figuratively and literally), that I need to brush myself off and keep walking. The only way to continue on is to put one foot in front of the other. So when the sadness, emptiness, numbness hits, I have one thing to do. Push myself through it. Remember that I ran the FREAKIN' Boston Marathon, hold my head up high (even when no one else is asking me about it), and set a new goal for myself.

And most importantly, remember that this was an amazing experience, filled with amazing people and amazing new friends. Thank you Dad for the strength to do this. Thank you Dana-Farber for this amazing, life changing opportunity.